PSPCL gets cracking, snaps supply to SAD leader’s office

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, February 22

Officials of the PSPCL today discontinued power supply to the office of SAD’s Muktsar constituency incharge Kanwarjit Singh Rozy Barkandi for the non-payment of bills of nearly Rs 3.6 lakh. The office is located on the Kotkapura road in Muktsar. The supply was however restored after the SAD leader made a part payment of Rs 2 lakh.

The PSPCL is facing a Herculean task to collect bills worth Rs175 crore from consumers in Muktsar and Fazilka districts. Of this amount, Rs110 crore is due towards 1.45 lakh individual consumers and Rs65 crore towards government departments.

Sources in the PSPCL said Rs 32 crore were to be recovered from 35,000 individual defaulters in Malout division; Rs 24 crore from 28,000 in Muktsar; Rs 17 crore from 15,000 in Badal; Rs 9 crore from 15,000 in Gidderbaha; Rs 22 crore from 34,000 in Abohar and Rs 5 crore from 15,000 in Fazilka. The Muktsar circle comprises these six divisions, which further have 26 sub-divisions.

The sources said among the defaulting government departments, Rs34 crore were to be recovered from the Water Supply and Sanitation Department, Rs18 crore from the Municipal authorities running waterworks in urban areas, Rs4 crore from the Irrigation Department and Rs1.25 crore from the Health Department.

They further said some of the defaulters had not even paid bills once in the last two-three years.

Gian Chand Singla, Deputy Chief Engineer, PSPCL, Muktsar circle, said: “We have issued notices to all defaulters to pay their dues at the earliest or face action. The heads of government departments too have been told to pay the bills or their supply would be discontinued. We have fixed the target to recover the entire outstanding amount before March 31.”